Chute foe river or canal navigation



Cit

NITEI) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALONZO LIVERMORE, OF TREMONT, PENNSYLVANIA.

CHUTE FOR RIVER OR CANAL NAVIGATION.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 30,739, dated November 27, 1860.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALONZO Livnnironn, of Tremont, in the county ofSchuylkill and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in the Mode of Constructing Chutes, and which I Denominate fLivermores Improved Chute, and I do hereby 'declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the construction andoperation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l, represents aperspective view of a portion of the chute. Fig. 2, represents alongitudinal elevation of one of the sides of the chute. Fig. 3,represents a transverse section through the chute and division walls.Fig. 4, represents a top plan.

Similar letters of reference where they occur in the several figures,denote like parts of the structure in all the drawings.

The object of my invention is to decrease the velocity and discharge ofthe water in a given channel, thereby enabling boats and other objectsto be propelled with reasonable power up as well as down said chute,'andto maintain such a depth and width of passage way for boats and othercraft, as will insure a continuous navigation even in low stages ofrivers and other water courses.

The nature of my invention consists in dividing the natural orartificial fall to be overcome, into several smaller falls, andseparating them by intermediate basins, pools, or chambers, said basins,pools or chambers, being enlargements in the cross section of the chute,either in depth or width (or both if circumstances will admit of it)greatly above the size of the boat channel. The length of these basins,pools, or chambers between each of these falls may be increased ordiminished to suit the circumstances of the case.

When a light inclination is required in order to lessen the resistanceof gravity for ascending craft, the basins, pools or chambers must beincreased in length, as will be obvious to the practical engineer. It isalso necessary that these basins, pools, or chambers have a suficientlength between the several falls, to measurably overcome the momentum ofthe running water in its acquired velocity at each of the falls. Thegreater the length of these basins, pools, or chambers, the more perfectwill be the retardation or equalization of the current between eachfall. Entire perfection, however, has not been found necessary in actualpractice.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I willproceed to describe the same with referenceV to the drawings.

A, A, are river walls made of stone or timber or parts of each; and B,B, are cross or division walls, with an open space throughV theircenters to form the chutethese cross walls may be of the same height,and built of the same material as the river or outside walls, and atsuch distances from each other as to leave the basins, pools, orchambers C, C, between them.

D, D, are the guard or guide timbers, which margin the sides of thechute--spaces are left between and under these timbers for the water topass freely through, into the chambers C.

E, represents sheet piling under the walls to secure their foundation.

F, F, are bottom sills at each fall, or cross wall, and between thecross walls B, current breakers H, H, may be used for retarding andequalizing the current, and one or more may be used in each basin orpool.

K, K, are lips or projections around each opening, upon the upper side,in the division walls. These lips are intended for lessening thedischarge of the water, and also to retard its passage through theopening.

I, I, represent the bed of the river or water course.

Vhen a canal or island channel should be used for the construction ofthe chute, a river wall would be unnecessary. The division wall wouldconnect with each shore as is here shown upon one side only.

The construction shown in the drawings represents the improved chute, aspassing over, or overcoming an articial fall made by a dam in the watercourse, a portion of which is shown at G, in Fig. 1. The principleinvolved is however the same for a natural fall.

The guard or guide timbers are requisite to prevent boats and othercraft from heilig thrown out of their course, and striking against thedivision walls.

The entire fall, it will be understood, is to be overcome by a series ofsteps or droppings from one basin or pool, to the next succeeding one;and the basins or pools allow the water to flow out of the directchannel, and expend its force in this enlarged water space; and thecurrent breakers aid in retarding the flow of the Water through thechute as well as into the basins \or pools, counteracting the force ofthe water, by causing it to react upon itself, instead of allowing it toretain its accelerated force. The lips at the upper sides of the seriesof openings through the cross Walls, aid in preventing the Water fromentering said openings, with undue force, and also tend to lessen thedischarge of the water from basin or pool immediately above them.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim therein as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent isl. Dividing the natural orartificial fall to be overcome in a stream, into several smaller pools,or chambers, that are interposed between a series of falls, the lips K,K, for retarding the ingress and egress of the water, to and from saidbasins, pools, or chambers, substantially as set forth.

ALONZO LIVERMORE.

Witnesses:

I. P. BEGHTEL, THOMAS HOLLAND.

